Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), the GOP's best bet for winning the special election to replace the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), will likely have to choose between running for reelection to her House seat and a risky Senate bid this November.

Her quandary became clear Tuesday when West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, who is assumed to be running for the Senate seat himself, proposed that state lawmakers schedule a special primary in August or September and a special general election for Nov. 2 — the same day Moore Capito is slated to stand for reelection to the House.

While Manchin asked state legislators to fully revise the Senate vacancy laws in a special session later this week, he did not ask them to change the state law that prevents a candidate from running for two different offices on the same ballot. Under that part of state code, Moore Capito would be forced to give up her House seat if she wants to run in a Senate special election on the same day.

"It would not permit Rep. Capito to seek two offices at once, to run for the United States Senate and for the House of Representatives," said George Carenbauer, a former state Democratic Party chairman and state election law expert.

Moore Capito, the only Republican in the state congressional delegation, is the GOP's top choice to run against Manchin, who has already said he is "highly" interested in running for the Senate seat. The congresswoman's spokesman, Kent Gates, said a big factor in her final decision will be whether she has to give up her House seat to run in a special election and that she will not make a final decision until the legislature is finished revising the vacancy law.

"I think it would have huge implications," said Gates. "I think one of the things she is most concerned about, is what the process is and what additional chaos it would create in terms of the House seat."

Although polls show Moore Capito trailing Manchin by a significant margin, Moore Capito also has more than $550,000 in the bank — a solid head start in a race that will take place in a shortened special election timetable. Manchin must start his Senate campaign from scratch, though as a sitting governor he will likely be able to raise money quickly.

In an interview with POLITICO this weekend, Manchin would not take a firm position on whether he would be open to revising current state law that prohibits candidates from running for more than one office in the same election. The governor did say, however, that "Common sense in West Virginia is to pick what you want and go for it."

The Democrat-controlled state legislature still has to pass Manchin’s proposed changes to the Senate vacancy laws, but key Democratic officials in Charleston have already indicated they are not inclined to make changes to the law that prevents candidates from running for two offices simultaneously.

Raamie Barker, a top aide for state Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, called that provision a "pretty solid piece of West Virginia law for some time" but said the governor has the final say in whether or not the law would also be revised in a special session.

"That's a question," Barker said. "I don't know if it's got enough legs enough to be addressed in this Legislature."

Democratic state Sen. Jeff Kessler, who heads the key Judiciary Committee, said he doesn't support changing that part of the law, adding, "It's nothing personal against Shelley or anyone else."

"It's been longstanding law in this state, you can only run for one office at a time," Kessler said. "I'm not inclined to support any changes."

Meanwhile, local Republicans accused Manchin of proposing a state election law that conveniently benefits his chances in the Senate race.

“The governor is a consummate politician, as I’ve said many times,” said West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Doug McKinney. “He is very adept at making the system work to his advantage. This is just another example.”